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The David Sarnoff Library enjoys impressive growth in traditional services even as it continues to increase the quantity of and access to its historical resources. The Library has begun public programming and laid the groundwork for strategic and program development as a center for the study, exhibition, and promotion of David Sarnoff's innovative spirit in the advancement of technology. Continuing a trend from the second half of 2000, strategic development vied for time with these new and traditional activities. The Library responded to significantly higher numbers of inquiries and tours; continued to acquire RCA-related papers and artifacts; designed and developed the Library's website; continued the preservation and cataloging of RCA files; and sponsored an Eagle Scout project to digitize a photo catalog. The director presented scholarly papers at three conferences presented evidence affirming David Sarnoff's significant involvement in the development of radio between 1911 and 1921; coordinated the planning for two lectures by RCA's Nobel laureate; and organized two public events commemorating the invention of electronic color television. Basic Activities Inquiries In 2001, inquiries rose approximately thirty percent over the previous year, to 295, or over 24 a month. These included questions and photo requests from the New York Times, NBC, American Heritage of Invention & Technology, Physics Today, the IEEE History Center, scholars, collectors, and the television show The Weakest Link. Tours In 2001, the director provided 173 tours of the David Sarnoff Library and Mr. Sarnoff's office suite-nearly triple the number given in 2000-to 1,170 visitors. Almost one third of attendees were unrelated to Sarnoff Corporation, including professional societies, students from elementary to university level, scholars, RCA retirees, and New Jersey educational administrators. Others were Corporation employees, corporate partners, prospective clients, and venture company investors. Increasing numbers of visitors of both categories inquire about school and other group visits. Research Visits The Library hosted sixteen researchers seeking primary sources on a variety of topics. These included two graduate students, an art historian from the University of Texas for a book on the effect of television displays on artists, Russian Television and Radio, and reporters from Norway's business newspaper, Dagens Naeringsliv. Works Produced based on Library use Research from the Library's resources in 2001 contributed to three books released in May 2002: Ross Knox Bassett, To The Digital
Age: Research Labs, Start-up Companies, and the Rise of MOS Technology
(Johns Hopkins University Press) The Library also contributed to two documentaries on David Sarnoff, one of which finished second in the National History Day championships; articles on websites for the history of television and a comparison of the radio and internet booms; the IEEE History Museum and the CED Videodisc websites; and entries in the Encyclopedia of New Jersey, World Book Encyclopedia, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Strategic Planning This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Library and 60th of the Princeton laboratories. Taking the Library to the next level of outreach and funding requires further board development and strategic planning that balances the needs of the archives, the museum, the website, and the educational programs that draw on their resources. During the spring 2002, the executive director met with two nonprofit strategic-planning consultants as the next step for the Board's strategic-planning process. Program and Special Initiatives Initiatives have included building the Library's own website; overseeing completion of a state library preservation and cataloging grant; sponsoring an Eagle Scout project to digitize a handwritten photo catalog; giving papers on RCA and David Sarnoff at three professional conferences; arranging for a visit and lectures by RCA's first Nobel laureate; and organizing two public events marking the 50th anniversary of the invention of electronic color TV at the RCA Labs. 1. In November, the Library helped
arrange two events commemorating the invention of electronic,
monochrome-compatible color television between 1946 and 1953. The
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world's largest
professional engineering organization, certified this globally
significant accomplishment as a historic milestone. 2. In October, Dr. Magoun arranged for RCA's Nobel laureate to present the Einstein Memorial public lecture at Princeton University. The Einstein lecture is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Princeton; its members commented on the attendance (approximately 200). Dr. Magoun helped promote the event by emailing the relevant departments at Princeton and Rutgers Universities. 3. The Library also hosted the New Jersey Antique Radio Club's annual holiday party in the Corporation auditorium. The NJARC and the Library anticipate a fruitful collaboration in antique restoration and the development of exhibits. 4. During the year the executive director participated in Sarnoff Corporation's plans for the renovation and expansion of its research facilities and development of the property. Part of these plans involves the demolition of the David Sarnoff Library and construction of a new exhibit area adjoining the new entrance to the Corporation. Dr. Magoun met with the architects, Corporation staff, and West Windsor residents and government officials. The approval process is ongoing. 5. Hired and trained with funds from a State Library grant, project archivist Richard Trotter weeded, re-housed, organized, and cataloged 76.5 linear feet of files and photos from RCA's Corporate Public Relations historical series, 1901-80. Mr. Trotter also donated forty hours of his time to finish the project. Accessions The Library received, reviewed, and
negotiated donations or loans of artifacts and files related to RCA's
history. Those accepted included The 1931 radio and first three televisions were in working order or have been made so thanks to volunteer restorations in 2002. The HDTV system is being stored by Sarnoff Corporation for the Smithsonian Institution. New Staff Using the New Jersey Historic Commission's 2001 grant, the Executive Director hired two part-time staff. Jane Cairns is the office manager responsible for improving file organization and in-house accounting; she also handles correspondence and invoicing. Karen Siracusa, project archivist, is weeding, rehousing, sorting, organizing, and cataloging 50 linear feet of the David Sarnoff Research Center's Public Affairs Office historical files. Preserving and establishing control over these materials is essential to using them to making the histories of the many technologies developed at RCA available to the broader public. Volunteers A Sarnoff Corporation consultant
offered to restore an RCA 830TS television donated in 2001 to working
order. Scott Marshall donated his time and skill; the Library
underwrote the cost of replacement parts, a DVD player, and a DVD of
Milton Berle's 1951 Buick Hour variety show for demonstrations. A member of the New Jersey Antique
Radio Club has begun restoring an RCA 9PC41 donated in 2001. This set
is one of the first projection television sets, pioneered by RCA after
World War II. Joe Serafin is donating his time and the Library is
donating parts and schematics. Another Eagle Scout candidate has
begun digitizing the index for the David Sarnoff Research Center's
photonegatives for the 1950s. A second group of 28 volunteers are
weeding duplicate materials from David Sarnoff photo and public
relations files and re-housing RCA Labs notebooks and reports in
Sarnoff Corporation's basement. The widow of the last director of RCA Laboratories in Tokyo has underwritten the cost of re-housing and organizing her husband's papers. She has also proposed initiating a Friends of the David Sarnoff Library to help generate support for the Library locally.
Revenues: $170,207 Expenses: $164,494 Cash and cash equivalents, 1/1/2001:
$35,075 Net assets, 12/31/2002: $8,758, plus the value of the Collection itself, appraised at $234,860: $246,618 Complete Financial Report by Golomb, Wills & Company available on request. Special Thanks to Those Who Have Made this Work Possible New Jersey State Historical
Commission/Office of Cultural Affairs/Department of State
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